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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · prune · pitch · drill · lean · object · safe · bulb

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a match
  9. object — to protest
  10. lean — thin
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — an aim
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — a thing
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com